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Advanced moisture strategy for expanded formability in paper-based packaging

  • Heike Stotz EMAIL logo , Matthias Klauser , Johannes Rauschnabel and Marek Hauptmann
Published/Copyright: June 20, 2025
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Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal
From the journal Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal Volume 40 Issue 4

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions is driving the development of new paper-based forming processes. Among these, 3D forming of paper has shown particular promise (Groche, P. and Huttel, D. (2015). Paperboard forming - specifics compared to sheet metal forming. BioRes 11). However, limited formability remains a key challenge, restricting potential applications. Since moisture content significantly affects both bending stiffness and stretchability (Franke, W.; Stein, P.; Dörsam, S.; Groche, P. (2018): Formability of paperboard during deep-drawing with local steam application. In: Proceedings of the 21ST international esaform conference on material forming. ESAFORM 2018, Palermo, Italy, 2018: Author(s) (AIP Conference Proceedings), S. 100008), targeted moistening is critical. For high-speed packaging lines with cycle times of 1–3 s, rapid and controlled moistening is required. Previous studies have shown that methods like water baths or sponge applications can improve forming results especially when combined with pressure to ensure even moisture distribution (Stotz, H., Vogt, L., Kasparian, T., Klauser, M., Rauschnabel, J., and Hauptmann, M. (2022). TAPPICon 2022 - advanced development in 3D forming methods for paper packaging. Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, 30 April-4 May 2022. Curran Associates, Inc., Red Hook, NY). However, practical, process-integrated solutions have been lacking. This study investigates a newly developed moistening unit using a porous aluminum interface for one-sided application (Bischoff, B.; Stotz, H.; Klauser, M. (2023). Verfahren und vorrichtung zur herstellung eines verpackungselementes. Angemeldet durch Syntegon Technology GmbH am 05.05.2023. Anmeldenr: 23171862.8. Veröffentlichungsnr.: EP 4 292 805 A1). Experiments with bleached board demonstrated that higher water pressure and longer contact times significantly increased moisture content. Moisture levels of up to 26 % were achieved in just 1–3 s. As a result, formability improved noticeably: the maximum strain increased from 13 % to 19 %, enabling deeper geometries and steeper wall angles – a clear advancement for sustainable packaging design.

Keywords: 3D paper forming technology; moisture-dependent formability of paper; paper humidification in high-speed processes; porous fluid transfer interface; pressure-assisted moistening
Corresponding author: Heike Stotz, Syntegon Technology GmbH, Waiblingen 71332, Germany; and Schlüsselwiesen 17, Stuttgart 70186, Germany, E-mail:

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: Not applicable.

  5. Conflict of interest: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Received: 2025-05-07
Accepted: 2025-06-09
Published Online: 2025-06-20
Published in Print: 2025-12-17

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Chemical Pulping
  3. Alkali-extracted spruce bark residues for pulping and making of pulp sheets
  4. Applications of cationic bamboo fibers for the effective reinforcements of secondary fibers
  5. Paper Technology
  6. Improving hydrophobicity and mechanical strength of rice straw paper using chitosan nanoparticles and beeswax coatings
  7. Extended wet pressing at elevated temperature enables enhanced dewatering for tissue and linerboard
  8. Tissue paper from cabbage leaf – waste paper mixtures
  9. Inhibition of hornification in simao pine fibers and recycled paper with different beating degrees by microwave expansion treatment
  10. Preparation of mycelium paper sheets and study on their adsorption properties
  11. Paper Physics
  12. Influence of the hybrid effect on the mechanical properties of pulp molds
  13. Paper Chemistry
  14. Response surface methodology optimization and anti-age properties in paper protection of carboxymethyl cellulose grafted with β –cyclodextrin
  15. Printing
  16. Green innovations in natural paper ink: trends, applications, and future prospects
  17. Packaging
  18. Advanced moisture strategy for expanded formability in paper-based packaging
  19. Production of packaging paper from Populus deltoides NSSC pulp reinforced with rice straw cellulose nanofibrils
  20. Environmental Impact
  21. Treatment of regenerated papermaking wastewater by sequencing batch moving bed biofilm reactor and kinetics study
https://doi.org/10.1515/npprj-2025-0028
Keywords for this article
3D paper forming technology; moisture-dependent formability of paper; paper humidification in high-speed processes; porous fluid transfer interface; pressure-assisted moistening

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Chemical Pulping
  3. Alkali-extracted spruce bark residues for pulping and making of pulp sheets
  4. Applications of cationic bamboo fibers for the effective reinforcements of secondary fibers
  5. Paper Technology
  6. Improving hydrophobicity and mechanical strength of rice straw paper using chitosan nanoparticles and beeswax coatings
  7. Extended wet pressing at elevated temperature enables enhanced dewatering for tissue and linerboard
  8. Tissue paper from cabbage leaf – waste paper mixtures
  9. Inhibition of hornification in simao pine fibers and recycled paper with different beating degrees by microwave expansion treatment
  10. Preparation of mycelium paper sheets and study on their adsorption properties
  11. Paper Physics
  12. Influence of the hybrid effect on the mechanical properties of pulp molds
  13. Paper Chemistry
  14. Response surface methodology optimization and anti-age properties in paper protection of carboxymethyl cellulose grafted with β –cyclodextrin
  15. Printing
  16. Green innovations in natural paper ink: trends, applications, and future prospects
  17. Packaging
  18. Advanced moisture strategy for expanded formability in paper-based packaging
  19. Production of packaging paper from Populus deltoides NSSC pulp reinforced with rice straw cellulose nanofibrils
  20. Environmental Impact
  21. Treatment of regenerated papermaking wastewater by sequencing batch moving bed biofilm reactor and kinetics study
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